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Long Reach High

Q: Is Long Reach High a good school?

Long Reach High ranks 120 th of 220 Maryland high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

120^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 220 Maryland High Schools

Better than 45% of Maryland high schools

Summary

Long Reach High is a public high school located in Columbia, Maryland, serving 1,448 students in grades 9-12. It is part of the Howard County Public Schools district, which is ranked 4 out of 25 in the state of Maryland and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

While the Howard County Public Schools district is highly ranked, Long Reach High consistently underperforms compared to the district and the state of Maryland in standardized test scores, graduation rates, and dropout rates. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, only 8.6% of students were proficient or better in MCAP/Mathematics for All Grades, compared to 42% for the district and 26.5% for the state. Additionally, Long Reach High has had a four-year graduation rate ranging from 81.1% to 94.5% over the past few years, which is lower than the district average of around 93.5%.

Another area of concern is the high chronic absenteeism rate at Long Reach High, ranging from 17.3% to 35.0% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the district average of around 17.3%. The school also has a higher percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 33.8% to 41.42%, compared to the district average of around 23.97% to 38.9%. While the higher per-student spending at Long Reach High ($20,610 in 2023-2024) compared to some of the higher-performing nearby schools suggests that funding and resources alone may not be the primary factor influencing the school's performance, addressing the underlying causes of the school's challenges could be key to improving outcomes for the students.

1,334

Students ?

13.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$20,610

Per pupil spending ?

37.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

6101 Old Dobbin Ln
Columbia, MD 21045

(410) 313-7117

District: Howard County Public Schools

Feeder schools for Long Reach High:

Elementary:	Deep Run Elementary
	Rockburn Elementary
	Waterloo Elementary
Middle:	Elkridge Landing Middle
	Mayfield Woods Middle

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

29.9%

African American:

27.5%

White:

23.4%

See top rated Maryland high schools

Compare Long Reach High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 32nd percentile in 2024 → 45th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Maryland average (46% vs 37% meeting standards)

✓90% graduate within 4 years

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 45th (2025) from a 32nd-percentile low (2024)

Worth a look

!Mathematics scores 18 pts below the Maryland average

!Near the bottom of Howard County Public Schools's ranking

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school46%

District avg51%

Maryland avg37%

120^th of 220

Maryland public high schools ?

Bottom 45%▼ down 3 pts since 2015

From bottom 49% (2015) to bottom 45% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Maryland High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

10^th of 13High Schools in the Howard County Public Schools

4^th of 25Howard County Public Schools among Maryland districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2025	36.2	120 of 220	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	36.0	100 of 146	31.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	41.7	75 of 127	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	31.1	139 of 225	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	35.7	91 of 138	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	29.9	125 of 197	36.5%	★★☆☆☆
2017	34.3	114 of 180	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2016	57.6	90 of 233	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2015	49.1	119 of 233	48.9%	★★☆☆☆
2014	69.7	94 of 231	59.3%	★★★☆☆
2013	66.0	80 of 185	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2012	61.9	90 of 187	51.9%	★★★☆☆
2011	67.7	72 of 183	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2010	76.6	51 of 220	76.8%	★★★★☆
2009	73.4	65 of 213	69.5%	★★★★☆
2008	76.4	53 of 214	75.2%	★★★★☆
2007	63.5	76 of 209	63.6%	★★★☆☆
2006	62.5	69 of 204	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2005	65.1	45 of 204	77.9%	★★★★☆
2004	52.0	64 of 201	68.2%	★★★☆☆

By subject vs Maryland (2024-2025) ?

Algebra I100%+79 vs state

English Language Arts61%+10 vs state

Algebra II14%-10 vs state

Mathematics9%-18 vs state

5.0

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★2

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Thursday, July 21, 2011

Howard County has done an excellent job in preparing our kids for college and the future. Long Reach is no exception. The pride is evident among the students and parents alike. Those who put in 100% effort get 110% back in return. Go Lightning. Continue to make excellence the standard! Close Quote

by a parent
Saturday, November 27, 2010

Great School with competent and caring teachers. Close Quote

Schools Near Long Reach High

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				MCAP Mathematics (2025)		MCAP English Language Arts (2025)			MCAP Algebra I (2025)	MCAP Algebra II (2025)	MCAP Science (2025)	MCAP Social Studies (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MCAP Mathematics 8th Grade	MCAP Mathematics All Grades	MCAP English Language Arts 8th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 10th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts All Grades	MCAP Algebra I End of Course	MCAP Algebra II End of Course	MCAP Science 8th Grade	MCAP Social Studies 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Long Reach High	Public	9-12	6101 Old Dobbin Ln	Columbia	21045	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-7117	1,334	97	13.7	37.6%	312 (23.4%)	367 (27.5%)	399 (29.9%)	154 (11.5%)	2 (0.1%)	2 (0.1%)	94 (7.0%)	36.2	120^th of 220 public high schools	45.5%		36	100^th of 146 public high schools	31.5%	20		8.6		61.2	61.2	1.5	14.1			$20,610	$892	$19,718
Howard High	Public	9-12	8700 Old Annapolis Rd	Ellicott City	21043	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-2867	1,493	96	15.5	20.2%	518 (34.7%)	348 (23.3%)	94 (6.3%)	418 (28.0%)	2 (0.1%)	3 (0.2%)	108 (7.2%)	62.9	33^rd of 220 public high schools	85.0%		58.7	35^th of 146 public high schools	76.0%	2		28.5		78.2	78.2	10.4	36.5			$19,053	$880	$18,174
Oakland Mills High	Public	9-12	9410 Kilimanjaro Rd	Columbia	21045	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-6945	1,413	103	13.7	43.2%	227 (16.1%)	628 (44.4%)	314 (22.2%)	119 (8.4%)	4 (0.3%)	2 (0.1%)	112 (7.9%)	35.2	121^st of 220 public high schools	45.0%		32.9	114^th of 146 public high schools	21.9%	7		5.8		63.7	63.7	3.1	7.6			$20,779	$1,052	$19,727
Wilde Lake High	Public	9-12	5460 Trumpeter Rd	Columbia	21044	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-6965	1,197	86	13.9	42.6%	264 (22.1%)	534 (44.6%)	208 (17.4%)	78 (6.5%)	3 (0.3%)	5 (0.4%)	101 (8.4%)	32.1	131^st of 220 public high schools	40.5%		36.7	98^th of 146 public high schools	32.9%	33		7.8		55.3	55.3	5.1	9.6			$21,629	$1,004	$20,625
Guilford Park High	Public	9-12	8500 Ridgelys Run Rd	Jessup	20794	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(410) 313-7430	1,218	78	15.6	45.2%	222 (18.2%)	465 (38.2%)	300 (24.6%)	158 (13.0%)	2 (0.2%)	5 (0.4%)	63 (5.2%)								(n/a)		11.9		57.7	57.7	9.3	14.0			$21,328	$961	$20,367
Hammond High	Public	9-12	8800 Guilford Rd	Columbia	21046	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-7615	1,159	81	14.3	37.4%	239 (20.6%)	514 (44.3%)	192 (16.6%)	128 (11.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	83 (7.2%)	51.3	70^th of 220 public high schools	68.2%		39.5	91^st of 146 public high schools	37.7%	21		13.5		78.4	78.4	5.5	20.7			$20,375	$1,025	$19,351
Atholton High	Public	9-12	6520 Freetown Rd	Columbia	21044	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-7065	1,540	92	16.7	22.9%	412 (26.8%)	497 (32.3%)	217 (14.1%)	288 (18.7%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.1%)	118 (7.7%)	53.6	58^th of 220 public high schools	73.6%		44.9	73^rd of 146 public high schools	50.0%	15		17.5		76.3	76.3	7.1	22.1			$18,240	$836	$17,404
Centennial High	Public	9-12	4300 Centennial Ln	Ellicott City	21042	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-2856	1,377	81	17.0	18.5%	455 (33.0%)	185 (13.4%)	107 (7.8%)	547 (39.7%)	3 (0.2%)	2 (0.1%)	74 (5.4%)	70.6	23^rd of 220 public high schools	89.5%		77.4	10^th of 146 public high schools	93.2%	13		33.3		83.6	83.6	15.3	41.4			$17,982	$875	$17,107
Homewood School	Public	6-12	10914 Clarksville Pike	Ellicott City	21042	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-7081	109	43	2.5	45.9%	36 (33.0%)	40 (36.7%)	18 (16.5%)	5 (4.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (8.3%)	10.8	213^th of 220 public high schools	3.2%		14.1	139^th of 146 public high schools	4.8%	74	0.0	0.0	15.4	17.6	16.7	0.0	0.0	0.0	16.7	$81,791	$2,291	$79,501
Applications and Research Laboratory	Public	9-12	10920 Clarksville Pike	Ellicott City	21042	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-6698	0	33	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)

Frequently Asked Questions about Long Reach High

What district is Long Reach High in?

Howard County Public Schools

What is the racial makeup of Long Reach High?

Students at Long Reach High are 30% Hispanic, 28% African American, 23% White, 12% Asian, 7% Two or more races.

What schools feed into Long Reach High?

Long Reach High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Deep Run Elementary
Elementary : Rockburn Elementary
Elementary : Waterloo Elementary
Middle : Elkridge Landing Middle
Middle : Mayfield Woods Middle

Is Long Reach High a good school?

Long Reach High ranks 120^th of 220 Maryland high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Long Reach High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,334 students attended Long Reach High.

Rate Long Reach High!

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Maryland State Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.